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A teenage boy has been charged following two burglaries in Addlestone in October and November. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with two counts of burglary and theft. He has been released on bail until his next appearance at Guildford Magistrates Court in December.
A man has been sentenced for driving offences. Harrison Sullivan, 24, (04/10/2001), of Hutton, Essex, was sentenced today at Staines Magistrates Court. Following a collision in Virginia Water in March 2024, Sullivan was summonsed to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court in November 2024 for driving offences including dangerous driving. He failed to appear at court, and an arrest warrant was issued. Sullivan was arrested on Friday, 10 October when he returned to the UK. At a hearing at Staines Magistrates Court on Friday, 24 October, he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance. On Friday, 14 November, Sullivan was given a 12-month custodial sentence, suspended for 24 months (two years). He has also been banned from driving for two years until he has passed an extended test. He will also have to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work, and be subject to a three-month curfew, which will be monitored by electric tag. Chief Superintendent Graham Barnett said, “Surrey Police are committed to reducing the number of fatal and serious injury collisions on our roads, and we will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who commit driving offences in our county.”
Over 20 elderly and vulnerable residents across Woking in Surrey and Pulborough in Sussex were deceived out of thousands of pounds at the hands of callous father and son rogue trader duo. Approximately £86,000 was taken from the victims, with a further £100,000 being prevented. This figure is likely to be higher and there are likely to be more victims we have not been made aware of. Tragically, a couple of the victims have since passed away, leaving their families picking up the pieces whilst dealing with the grief of losing their loved ones. We spoke with two of the victims to hear about their ordeal and the impact it has had on them. Rogue traders are criminals who take as much money as possible from their victims – who are often elderly and live alone. Please report any incidents of rogue trading to us or Trading Standards as this really helps us see the bigger picture and to identify key offenders. We also ask that you share this message with anyone you think could be a victim of these types of scams.
A sex offender was arrested in Reigate and Banstead recently thanks to our newly deployed Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vehicles. On 13 November, the LFR vehicle was deployed in Redhill as part of the work we’re doing alongside partners to tackle crime and help keep the town safe. At the deployment yesterday, we received five positive alerts. A 69-year-old man was arrested by officers on suspicion of breaching his Sexual Risk Order. He remains in police custody pending further enquiries. A 25-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in relation to a previous offence. He was subsequently de-arrested following further enquiries by our officers. Further stops ensured conditions were being complied with for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a Stalking Protection Order (SPO). The technology is a vital tool to help us find people on a pre-determined watchlist. This will include wanted people like sex offenders and perpetrators of domestic abuse. If your face is not on the watch list, the technology blurs your face before it even goes onto the camera feed and is then deleted immediately. It is not retained in any way and is not stored on any database.
An 18-year-old nursery worker has been jailed for sexual offences against two children. Thomas Waller, who was 17 at the time of the offences, was convicted of rape, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of taking indecent images following a trial at Staines Magistrates Court in July. Waller, (24/04/2007), of Farnham, committed the offences against two children over two weeks in August 2024 when they were just three years old. He was newly qualified to work with children when concerns were raised by parents of one of the victims who had told them about a serious assault. Staff at the setting (which cannot be named for legal reasons to protect the identity of the victims) then called the police. Waller was arrested and during the investigation indecent images of a second victim were discovered on his mobile phone and a second investigation immediately initiated. On Friday, 14 November, Waller was jailed for 10 years for rape, with an additional five years on licence. In addition, he was given a four-year sentence for inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one year for indecent images, which will run concurrently. In statements to the court, the children’s parents described the affect his offending has had on them and their families. The parents of one said, “This was not an accident. It was not a poor decision on the spur of the moment, it was premeditated and calculated. “This man continually gave no comment. This man chose to deny everything. He has had every opportunity to plead guilty and express remorse, and he has chosen not to. He has demonstrated no accountability for his actions. “We do not know yet what the long-term impact on our son will be. I am hopeful that with our support he will understand that he did nothing wrong and that he has nothing to be ashamed of. “We won’t know what he will think when he hears the name ‘Tom’ – as his parent, I always slightly hesitate and feel uncomfortable when I read that name out in a storybook, hear it on TV, or greet another kid’s parent with the same name. “The day after his appearance in court our son asked us if he was bad because of what Tom had done to him. He doesn’t understand how he was manipulated and how both his trust as well as his body was abused.” The parents of the second child said, “I’ll never forget the ache in my heart when I understood what our child had gone through. “The worst part of this journey has been the feeling of complete helplessness. I couldn’t protect our child when they needed us most. And I can’t undo the damage that has been done to them. “Knowing that our child’s image was taken and shared without consent, shared with strangers, is something I cannot stop thinking about. “This whole experience has impacted every aspect of our lives. It has stolen our peace, our sense of security, and our ability to sleep soundly at night. We are constantly on edge, wondering how this will affect our child in the future, and we feel the weight of their burden every single day.” Investigating officer, Detective Constable Grace Cable, said, “This deeply distressing case is every parent’s worst nightmare, and I would like pay tribute to the resilience of the victims and their families throughout this whole process. Their support and strength enabled us to secure this conviction and put a dangerous young man behind bars. “Thomas Waller had multiple opportunities to show remorse or account for his actions, both during the police investigation and the court process, but has chosen to remain silent. “I hope his prison sentence helps the families affected by his crimes to start to move forward with their lives. “For any parent or guardian who wants to know how best to protect their child, my advice is that no one knows your child better than you. Always listen to what they have to say, and if you have concerns for their safety or welfare then please report them. Surrey Police take any allegation of sexual assault incredibly seriously and will do all we can to investigate and to deliver justice for victim-survivors and their loved ones.”
Last week our Roads Policing Unit (RPU) along with the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) ran Operation Drive Insured, which focuses on tackling the issue of uninsured vehicles. An uninsured vehicle is seized every four minutes across the UK, with almost 120,000 seized so far this year and around 1,500 of these coming from within Surrey. The week long campaign also included a dedicated morning of partner activity, which took place on the A320 Woking Road on Thursday, 13 November. From which the results were: 56 vehicles stopped 2 arrests: A man his late 30s was arrested on suspicion of driving over the prescribed limit. He was released under investigation. A man his early 20s was arrested on suspicion of breaching immigration bail conditions. 6 vehicles seized 4 fixed penalty notices issued 18 traffic offences 5 summons to court, for offences such as accumulating excess points PC Pat Nixon said: “This operation highlights our determination to target those who drive uninsured on our roads. Stopping an uninsured vehicle can help identify individuals of interest, drink and drug driving, stolen vehicles or property, and organise crime networks. Driving is not a right, it’s a luxury. Anyone who is stopped driving without insurance will be prosecuted and lose their vehicle at the roadside. We will also continue to enforce our ‘fatal 5’ offences on the road which is the main cause of serious/fatal road traffic collisions. We will continue to work hard to make the roads of Surrey safe for everyone who lawfully uses them. Driving whilst uninsured raises insurance prices nationally and can lead to fine of a £300 and six points on your licence." | ||
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